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Letters and feedback: Oct. 19, 2018

Florida Today
Published 11:30 a.m. ET Oct. 18, 2018

Airmen from the 821st Contingency Response Group set up a tent city at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, on Oct. 12. The contingency response team deployed to assess damage and establish conditions for the re-initiation of airflow, bringing much needed equipment, supplies and personnel for the rebuilding of the base in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael.(Photo: Tech. Sgt. Liliana Moreno/ Tech. Sgt. Liliana Moreno)

It's Wednesday night. Just got back from Satellite Beach, trying to walk my dog. He choked within four minutes — dead fish everywhere, air quality is terrible and my lungs are still young. Senate candidates, governor candidates, local representatives, what is your solution? Tonight all beachside restaurants were empty. Beaches were empty. Tourism is stagnant.

Julio Torres, Melbourne

Relief fund focused on Air Force

I was happy to see FLORIDA TODAY publish a list of charities supporting hurricane relief in our Panhandle. I’d like to add one more organization to the list, the Air Force Aid Society.

Tyndall AFB was one of the most heavily damaged areas in the path of Hurricane Michael. As an Air Force retiree, I wanted to find a way to directly support the airmen who give so much and now have lost so much. The Air Force Aid Society does great work supporting our airmen year-round, but I also found they have a hurricane relief fund to address this specific need. It’s easy for anyone to donate, just go to the website at afas.org. I encourage everyone to consider the Air Force Aid Society when thinking about how to help the hurricane survivors.

Lynn A. Herndon, Cocoa Beach

Posey absent in many areas

With the arrival in Brevard of the red tide, we are reminded, by the odor, irritation, and loss of revenue, of the disastrous effects of unresponsive politicians more interested in keeping the status quo happy than seeking solutions to real problems plaguing real people.

Bill Posey, one of the most unresponsive, has done one thing well — hidden from his real constituents. The people, the economy, the environment of our county all suffer at his absence — his absence of leadership, of logic, of attention, and absence of understanding both the needs of his electorate and the facts needed to make well-founded decisions.

Sanjay Patel, on the other hand, lacks none of those qualities. He has a full grasp of who his electorate really is, their needs and the science needed to make decisions on their behalf, to their benefit. He understands economics is more than a set of rules to keep the wealthy in charge. He understands government is here for the people, not the corporations. And he understands the Space Coast depends on the ecology that is our gift, and must be protected to foster long-term secure prosperity, not destroyed for short-term gain. If your eyes are stinging due to red tide, you know Posey has failed to protect our environment. If you see beachside restaurants with empty seats and hotels with empty rooms, you know he has failed to protect the basis of our economy.

I am truly shocked by the recent USA TODAY article praising Mitch McConnell. He has lowered the bar of our democracy and humanity beyond the point of any remaining civility. We have always been a respected country whose values others aspired to. The farce displayed by McConnell and Republican leadership to push a Supreme Court justice forward removed us from that esteemed position.

We now praise the partisan, hateful actions of unapologetic, despicable men. These men put personal gains and power above the voices of the people. They kowtowed to the POTUS and evangelical right-wing extremists to push forward a Supreme Court justice not fit to serve as an impartial decision-maker in our highest court. Despite evidence from a brave woman who knowingly subjected herself to the pain and humiliation of reliving a frightful attack by this candidate, Republicans' minds were made up before her testimony even began. This justice candidate made the issue partisan to deflect the narrative away from himself. He did this in an ugly, aggressive rant. He does not have the demeanor of an innocent man or a Supreme Court justice. Who has more to gain by lying, the potential justice, or the woman who ruined her life to bring up this past injustice?

McConnell and his fellow Republicans chose to push this man forward in a farce of a democratic process. I am bewildered and saddened at how far we have fallen under this severely broken congressional leadership.

We are better than this in America.

Joy Debusk, West Melbourne

Don't fall for robocalls

I write regarding the recent column mentioning "robocalls from a Republican Party of Florida number telling Democrats they need to return their mail ballots to the Democratic Party."

It's very easy to spoof phone numbers on caller ID. This call could have originated anywhere in the North American Numbering Plan (NANP), which includes Canada and various Caribbean islands. Those getting robocalls from the 211 "area code" should know there is no 211 area code. 211 is reserved by the FCC for community information and referral services; this is a "special services" hotline similar to 411 (information) or 911, for emergencies. Calls like this could be sponsored by some third party, and this third party may or may not be American.

Meredith Poor, West Melbourne

Deadline for candidate-related submissions

Oct. 28 is the last day FLORIDA TODAY will run guest columns and letters to the editor written by candidates or those endorsing a candidate in the 2018 elections. The exceptions are editor-approved rebuttals to a recent column or letter. The deadline to submit those is Oct. 25.